Take precautions to avoid holiday fire disasters

Here’s a number for you: A dry Scotch pine tree can become fully engulfed in flames within three seconds of catching fire.

Surprised? Not Capt. Nim Harris of the Burlington Fire Department.

“The bottom line is, Christmas tree fires do occur,” he said. “We encourage people to take precautions.”

The holidays are known for lots of family fun and togetherness. They’re also known as probably the worst time of the year for house fires.

Christmas trees are probably the leading cause of those holiday blazes. Harris said precautions should start at the time the tree is bought. Check to see that the tree you’re buying is fresh. If the needles fall off en masse, or are brittle and easily bend and break, the tree has been too long cut.

Harris said once a tree is selected, the buyer needs to make sure 2 inches are cut from its bottom before being placed in a stand. That does away with the sap that’s hardened at the bottom of the tree’s trunk and allows it to soak in water. Once the tree is in its stand, it needs to be watered daily.

Harris said a lack of water makes for a tree that dries too quickly. The tree’s lights can also cause it to dry, he said, as well as placing it too close to a heat register.

Harris compared a dried tree to being as dangerous as gasoline.

“It’s a huge threat,” he said.

While blazes related to Christmas trees may be the leading cause of house fires during the holidays, they’re not the only threat. Fires can also easily start through cooking or be ignited by ill-placed candles.

According to the National Fire Prevention Association, 35 home candle fires are reported per day. The top three days for home candle fires are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

Harris said the use of candles is much more prevalent during the holidays, with a number of people using them for decorations. Caution must be practiced, he said, with precautions made to ensure candles aren’t placed on a combustible surface and are kept away from combustible decorations.

Harris said it’s a common belief that a candle in a glass jar is always safe. He said there have been instances in which a candle has burned to the bottom of a jar, the heat cracked it and exposed the surface below to flame.

Don’t place candles near curtains, windows or registers. The flow of air can cause a candle to re-ignite or tip over. Pets have also been known to tip over candles and cause fires.

Harris said it may not be considered the most personal of gifts, but a fire extinguisher for a Christmas present is practical and usually appreciated.

“I consider it a great gift and it just might save someone’s life,” he said.

Harris said an area woman was enrolled this past summer in a class on fire safety sponsored by the Burlington Fire Department. He said after the class, the woman went and bought a fire extinguisher. Later, she had a cooking fire and the extinguisher saved the day and may have saved her house.

Finally, Harris suggested batteries in smoke detectors be checked as the holidays approach. The batteries should be tested once a month, he said, and a test at the holidays is especially important.

“A working smoke alarm is the only thing that’s going to wake you at night,” Harris said.